Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-21
C0LORED MEN MEET.
ORGANIZATION OF THE coLoRgD MgR-
CAMILLE ASSOCIATION OF
VIRGINIA.
Election Of ofseers Yesterday Speech OF
the President.

| ihStAiDg OF rtpEtScHtdtlNc COloItu
citizens of the counties of the Tide
water and Piedmont sections of Vir-
ginia and the cities of Richmond,
Manchester, Petersburg, Norfolk, and
Portsmouth was held at Frye's Hotel,
Broad street, in this city, yesterday
for the purpose of re0rganizing the
Colored Mercantile Association of Vir-
ginia. TIE object of this association
is to raise capital among the colored
men in this State TO be invested in
mercantile pursuits, where there are
safe fields for such businesses, aud in
agricultural lands. The stock OF the
association is s. n share.
THE PLAN.
The idea of these men is that there
are thousands of acres of land changing
hands every day, and if the colored
men were to acquire some of this land
instead OF allowing the best of it to pass
into the hands of white foreigners the
colored people could have profitable
employment and comfortable homes
here in Virginia. On the other hand.
there are, they claim, many fields OF
mercantile pursuits that the colorsd
people could engage in proiitably, but
to accomplish these ends the colored
men must combine. This movement
started two or three years ago'and many
took part in il, andit had bright pros
pect of being successful, but just at that
time the Knights of Labor excitement
started. The oriGinators decided to let
this movement rest until the labor agi
tations quoted somewhat. So about
four or five months ago they decided to
call a meeting OF representative and en-
tcrprising coiored men from the eastern
section of Virginia TO be held to re-
organize the Mercantile Association on
a different and better plan.
CALLED TO ORDER.
The president called the meeting TO
order, and in doing SO said the object
Of the meeting was too well known for
him to explain Mt any length. for the
circular letters were explicit, and had
been sent to those who were wanted at
the meeting.
The Chair stated that to expedite
business a paper had been prepared to
be presented, and the clerk proceeded
to read plan OF organization.
ACTION on TIE PAPER.
On motion, the paper was taken up
for consideration, and after being care
fully considered section by section it
was adopted The following sections
were amended TO read as follows:
2. Each district society shall elect its
chairman, secretary, and treasurer. and
the chairmen and trcasurers shall be the
directors from the district societies, and
the societies shall when necessary APP
point its secretary "A collector for the
delinquent dues. and all parts of shares
less than one fifth (sD shall remain
in the local treasures.
IL. Each district may have the
power to send three proxies to repre-
sent them in the general annual meet
ings, and such proxies shall have the
power TO cast all the votes such dis
trct societies are entitled to in the |
general association if it be as many as |
five hundred, but the votes shall be |
divided equally between the three |
proxies and district societies not send
ing proxies and only allow lis members |
to attend in person. Such district So
cictics shall he entitled to no votes
more than from those members who |
attend in person.
l2. No business shall he commenced |
by this association until $1,000 shall |
have been subscribed and 1000 shall |
have been paid up.
j.. The meeting of the Board Of |
Directors shall be held quarterly.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
After the adoption of this paper the
Chair ID. II. Blackwell, Of Manchester
stated that the paper just adopted
would become part Of the constitu-
ton and laws of the association. So
the next business was the election of
officers.
". G. johnson put in nomination for
president Albert L. Ellis, of Gooch-
land.
EIlis's nomination was seconded 10y
John James, Jr., of Henrico, and